Official visit convinced three-star defensive back Markel Aguirre to commit to Pack

By Noah Fleischman

Going into his NC State official visit this past weekend, Locust Grove (Ga.) Luella three-star safety Markel Aguirre wasn’t planning to commit for another week. He set a decision date for next Saturday, but the more time he spent on the Wolfpack’s campus, the easier it was for him to make up his mind. 

The tipping point came during a player panel on Friday night, which allows the visitors to ask questions to current NC State players. As Aguirre, who is listed as the nation’s No. 52 safety in the country and the No. 69 player in Georgia in the On3 Industry Rankings, listened to each answer, a common theme of family kept coming up. 

“Hopefully, this is true,” Aguirre thought to himself. 

Once they left the meeting and went to dinner, Aguirre was quickly able to figure out what the players meant by the family-like bond. He witnessed it firsthand. 

“They made me feel wanted,” Aguirre told TheWolfpacker.com. “They made me feel like I was already a part of the team. None of them disrespected me. I went to the hotel, and I talked to my parents and said, ‘This is what I like. This is what I need.’”

The decision was made. Aguirre didn’t want to take any other official visits. He was dead set on committing to NC State. The defensive back just needed to find a way to tell the coaching staff about his college plans, so he had fun with it. 

Aguirre played table tennis with defensive graduate assistant Nick Treco, who he claims he beat three straight times during the trip. Once the friendly competition was over, Aguirre was ready to let the former Wolfpack defensive back in on his secret. 

“I’ve got some business,” Aguirre told Treco. “I’m going to commit at dinner today.”

Soon after, he told co-defensive coordinator Charlton Warren, his lead recruiter, in a one-on-one meeting just before dinner with the rest of the coaching staff. Both Treco and Warren had the same giddy reaction, jumping and screaming with excitement. 

After that, Aguirre was officially a Wolfpack commit. He told NC State head coach Dave Doeren over dinner, releasing a graphic to announce his decision later on Saturday night. The Pack was able to overtake Miami’s momentum, where Aguirre’s older brother is a linebacker, along with South Florida’s pursuit on the recruiting trail to land his services.

The 6-foot, 185-pound safety is a candidate to play nickel within NC State’s defense . He posted 57 tackles with 14 for a loss, two interceptions and a pass defended during his junior campaign. 

Aguirre’s commitment to the Wolfpack not only stemmed from witnessing the team’s culture on his official visit, but what Warren can do for him. The Pack’s secondary coach preached his resume, which has led to more than two dozen players going to the NFL during his tenure in the college ranks. 

That stuck with Aguirre, who is more than willing to do the work to reach the next level after his time in Raleigh is up.

“It feels like he’s always with me,” Aguirre said of Warren. “He’s big on development. He’s a development guy, so when he was talking to me about going to the NFL, he said ‘You’re doing this good, but imagine what I could teach you.’ He helped me realize I could go to the NFL with him.”

Now, after making his college commitment a reality, Aguirre is happy he can just focus on his senior season and is ready to enjoy his final year of high school. 

“It helps me because I’m shutting down my recruitment,” Aguirre said. “I don’t have to talk to any coaches except NC State coaches. It helps me focus on my grades, developing as a player and playing well. It’s my senior year. Now I don’t have to worry about it as much. It’s really good doing that. I’m so relaxed now.”

Aguirre wants to improve his tackling skills this fall. He feels as though he’s more than capable of playing as a freshman with his coverage, so improving his ability to stop ball carries is his priority. 

But, for now, Aguirre will enjoy being an NC State commit. He was more than happy with his official visit experience, which led to his ultimate decision.

“It was very fun,” Aguirre said of his visit. “I really did love it. They brought me in, and it felt like I was on the team already. I really loved this weekend.”